From The Road
June 20, 2008 6:45 PM

Obama Says He Needs Money To Fight Smear Campaign

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Barack Obama today defended his decision to opt out of public financing, arguing that the system cannot control outside lobbyist groups who will launch personal attacks against him and his wife.

“We’ve already seen attacks on my wife from the Tennessee Republican party,” Obama told reporters, “I don’t think that I am off the wall here to see that a lot of outside groups that are potentially going to be going after us hard.”

He said his commitment to overhaul campaign financing stands; however, he argued that he is in a better position to withstand Republican attacks if he doesn’t partake in it.

Obama said he will have to campaign harder in states like Florida in order to change misconceptions about him.

“McCain’s a fine man and somebody who’s been in the public eye for a long time and I am still relatively new on the national scene and so I’ve said before when your name is Barack Obama you’re like AVIS, you’ve got to work twice as hard.”

At a low-dollar fundraiser after the press conference, Obama had a similar message for supporters. He told donors that the Republicans will launch personal attack, “They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?”

Earlier in the day, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg asked Jewish voters in Boca Raton, Florida to dismiss false internet rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Tags:
obama ,
fundraising ,
public finance
Topics:
Barack Obama
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by grammawhamma June 20, 2008 7:58 PM PDT
*Yawn.....
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by rowdywicca June 20, 2008 8:14 PM PDT
LMAO! You mean he needs to launch his own smear campaigns!!!
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by ericmiami June 20, 2008 8:25 PM PDT
$25 at a time, it''s a pleasure to support Sen. Obama against the empty quiver of the Republicans.
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by seah5 June 21, 2008 12:25 AM PDT
Obama has smeared every candidate who has ever run against him, from Chicago to Washington. He has used the most dirtiest tricks, forced documents made public. twisted words, told half truths and lied. His Chicago style politics The Eliminator is crying about smear. That is Hilarious.

Is he afraid something true is going to come out that he does not want known?

Is it more of his political Rhetoric to try to make the republicans look bad?

Mr Obama has lied so many times to the American people about important things in a persons life, their family and friends. Can we believe anything he says?

His PR department has been working more than over time on this, and mrs obama. It makes it look like some truth will be unveiled he does not want know. and he wants the American people just to ignore it.

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by rowdywicca June 21, 2008 9:28 AM PDT
LMAO! Obama needs money for his own smear campaign! Just like he''s lying about McCain''s lobbyist and PAC money! McCain''s money from those groups is less than 1.7%.

Obama is a lying piece KRAP! And his smear tactics are twice as scummy!
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by cbsespo June 21, 2008 10:52 AM PDT
Obama made a very wise decision. Above there is a post that reads

"LMAO! Obama needs money for his own smear campaign! Just like he''''s lying about McCain''''s lobbyist and PAC money! McCain''''s money from those groups is less than 1.7%."

This is true but this percentage is already beginning to swell with new 527 org and PAC money, McCain chose not to refuse. This is what led to Obama to discard his attempt to reach an agreement, McCain was not willing to "work within the system". Obama has already asked 527s , in support of him, to dissolve.Obama does not take PAC money. Why would he opt in for public financing too ? McCain gave him all he needed to abandon his pledge to persue an agreement and his action is smart and justifiable. The swift boaters on the GOP barge are going to get a direct hit and sink. They will drown on their words of fear and rumor. Go Obama !
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by seah5 June 21, 2008 12:36 PM PDT
Obama is wasting more money than most of us will see in our life time. With people struggling with higher cost, having a hard time surviving.

Obama''s main concern is himself, not you or me.

He wants more money to waste on ads.

He wants more money to spread more propaganda.

He wants more money to send out reinforcement techniques to keep you believing.

He is Living in a Great High House.
He is eating very well.
He is able to pay all his bills on time.
Him and his wife are dressing better each day.

Are you? I know I am sure not.

The news media and advertising companies are getting rich off of Obama.

Obama threw his grandmother under the bus. He threw his friends under a bus. Yes, he is throwing us under a bus. All to get what "He" wants.

Reply to this comment
by greenfun June 21, 2008 2:21 PM PDT
More lies and flip/flopping. FISA. Public financing. This Democrat is giving money to a group of Democrats fighting to keep this ambitious liar out of the White House.
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by phillysage June 21, 2008 2:26 PM PDT
The idea of writing in Hillary is a great one as long as she''s not on the Democratic ticket.
There''s only one smart choice for V.P.--that''s Hillary.
The longer he takes putting her on the ticket--the longer he will be the object of scorn and frustration of many of us Hillary fans, even is she herself is out campaigning for him. Indeed, a good number of will not vote Obama in 08 if Hillary isn''t on the ticket, too.
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by aj4321-2009 June 21, 2008 3:13 PM PDT
If McCain had the balls to criticize his party loyalists like Rove and Cheney from falsely attacking Obama, Obama would have taken public funding.

McCain changes his positions by the hour.

McCain == Super Flip-flopper
Reply to this comment
by as1972 June 21, 2008 3:17 PM PDT
It''s good to see that Americans are spending more money than the corporations and special interest groups in order to finance a candidate. Sen. Obama''s stance on not accepting money from lobbyist and special interest groups is unchanged, yet his coffers are full to the point that it would be a hindrance to agree to the confines of public finance even if that is what the RNC would have liked to see. Like in every competition, circumstances change, therefore adjustments need to be made. Struggling, hard working, underinsured, uninsured... are acting to take back their country, why should he deny them because he didn''t realize how many people with so very little would give so much for a change in this country. It''s good to see the Obama campaign make the right adjustment. It''s about time that our country has a leader that can do so.
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by sjbj2322 June 21, 2008 4:18 PM PDT
I''ll give Barack credit...he''s savvy enough to try to infer just how the opposition will attack by defining their game plan for them thus drawing them away from the real issues that could be used against him. Yeah - like his record, like the fact that he went from cocaine and pot to Rezko, Rev. Wright, Farrahkhan, etc., like his wife sits on the board of a hospital making a small fortune while gouging uninsured patients. Well he''s good but I don''t think he can count the Repubs out that easy. His greatest source of consolation should continue to focus on the fact that they have a weak candidate that''s so aligned with Bush.
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by blondie4359 June 21, 2008 7:54 PM PDT
How many times are we going to let him get away with mis-speaking? Isn''t this way of campaigning similiar to what his EX-Friend of 17 years "TONY REZCO do to his tenants??
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by blondie4359 June 21, 2008 7:59 PM PDT
I am not inspired into believing what he said a few weeks ago to what he said just a few days ago. Thats for sure. Just the opposite. Same ole politics, nothing new, not like he promised over and over and over and over and over, to the point you could say it to your self and actually believe it. I just change the channel, I am sick of it. Not INSPIRED LIKE I USED TO BE and HE_ Yes_ OBAMA_ did that to himself, HE spoke the words.
I have a bi-racial family. HOW COULD HE......
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by blondie4359 June 21, 2008 8:07 PM PDT
I want to see a spending sheet for that 500 million dollars. Yes, 500 million dollars.
If he does not win who gets the MONEY? DOES he give it back?? HA. That''s a loop hole in the "PUBLIC FINANCE???" If he wins he still keeps the money??? That''s another loop hole?" HA fooled us didn''t we. I could not buy summer school supplies for my kids that they needed because I had to save for money for gasoline to go to work. While HIS FRIENDS FLY in to play BASKETBALL with him?? Who paid for that? OH YEA "OUR campaign money," Wasn''t that the same time as the AL GORE speech?? Nothing like the POT calling the Kettle.... well you know the rest....
UnInspired in California...
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by demwatcher June 21, 2008 9:30 PM PDT
McCain changes his positions by the hour.

McCain == Super Flip-flopper

Posted by aj4321 at 03:13 PM : Jun 21, 2008

Hah! Obama has NO position that is not put in his mouth by his handlers in the DNC. Whenever he speaks without his teleprompter, he puts his foot in his mouth!

Fugger can''t even get his own family history straight.
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by darklight73 June 22, 2008 5:49 AM PDT
TruUSA - I have read the books and they don''t resemble what you''ve written. And you''ve left out the best bits - that OB was a member of the KKK, was called to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee, avoided the Vietnam draft, and enjoys pulling the wings off of small insects
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by hoseobama June 22, 2008 9:04 AM PDT
The reason he needs more money (right, isn''t this they guy that broke all records in campaign collections) is because he''s not fighting a smear, he''s fighting reality. That takes a lot of money!
Reply to this comment
by alicerea1 June 22, 2008 9:12 AM PDT
Obama, the new guy in town, is a con, a Chicago politician: Obama lacks high morals and will stop at nothing when it comes to further his ambition. He%u2019s a fast talker speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

He bragged about his church. He would never leave the %u201Cblack%u201D community.
Then threw them under the bus

Bragged about his pastor. He could never leave Reverend Wright, he%u2019s like an old uncle.
Then threw him under the bus

Bragged about his grandmother then called her a %u201Ctypical white person%u201D
She then went under the bus.

He wrote a book about his father but now that he has been found to be a %u201Cnon practicing%u201D Muslim
He threw his dad under the bus. Definitely had to disown him.

His supporters are anti Semitic, racists and far left liberals.
Farrakhan, Rezko, Reverend Wright and Father Pflaeger are all under the bus too

When it comes to Obama%u2019s associates he has figured out that all he has to do is either denounce or reject them and then it%u2019s okay. Sometimes he just doesn%u2019t discuss them at all. He had a coworker that was a domestic terrorist, William Ayers and laughed about it when asked about his involvement.
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by alicerea1 June 22, 2008 9:13 AM PDT
Barack Hussein Obama is a fast talker that knows Chicago politics. He will do anything and destroy anyone to win this election. When the heat is on, he avoids debates, changes his mind, defends his thinking with speeches and runs from the press.

Obama will not speak one word without a script. He is poor, at best, in debates and he knows that an open speech might divulge his true character.

The icing on the cake was to change his mind on public financing.
Barack Obama has worked on the issue of political reform for years.
On Larry King in Jan. 2007, he told Mr. King that the public-financing system works.

He challenged the Republicans since Feb 2007 to limit their spending. He vowed to do so along with them if he were the Democratic nominee. In fact, a majority of his career was spent talking about how much he believed in public financing.

He speaks so calmly but he''s got the "king or prince" title in mind. Obama%u2019s ambition is to win, cheat and lie if he has to. This is democracy?
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by alicerea1 June 22, 2008 9:14 AM PDT

Senator Obama will say whatever he has to in order to convince the public and the Democratic Party that he%u2019s the nominee of %u201Cchange%u201D, a uniter, a man of the future. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A naove politician? We think not.
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by alicerea1 June 22, 2008 9:16 AM PDT
Thanks "tru usa"
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by kate1149 June 22, 2008 7:26 PM PDT
The people commenting on this site are really racist, disgusting and ignorant. Guess I''ll go to MSNBC where the issues are discussed by people with more than a fourth grade education - and by people who are actually in touch with reality.
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by jghutto June 22, 2008 9:36 PM PDT
This is my "legal" opinion. Barack could have kept his name "Barry" or, better still, why didn''t he take his mother''s maiden name "to appear more American". He could have just changed his name to "John Doe." Why should we help pay to defend his name when it is so easy to change one''s name? A further point, he could have taken is Mother''s maiden name and married into the "white" race to further his appeal as an American. Everything he did has appealed to his biological father.
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by whitepicks2 June 22, 2008 10:42 PM PDT
Good God, man. President John Doe....sheesh. Think of it this way: Getting past his name is a test.

If his name, instead of policy, determines whether or not you vote for him, you failed.
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by blitzder June 23, 2008 6:21 AM PDT
Swift boating the Kerry campaign in 2004, will look like childs play in comparison to whats gonna come Obama''s way in this election. The KKK, Neo-Nazi''s, Conservatves crazies etc are all sharpening their political knives. Get ready for the fireworks folks....
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by jack3213 June 23, 2008 7:37 AM PDT
A vote for Obama is a vote for higher taxes in an economy that can''t afford it. Wake up. His plans are all wrong- and people are just so stupid & blind- SO many walk around thinking they will get a change in government- with a Democrat- you will get NOTHING, and I feel sorry for those who are just plain naive.


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by alicerea1 June 23, 2008 7:53 AM PDT
Would someone find out why Obama never discusses his father being a Muslim. Obama has noted in his two books, "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope," that he spent two years in a Muslim school and another two years in a Catholic school while living in Indonesia from age 6 to 10.

Why doesn''''t someone ask him why Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan had a rally with over 20000 worshipers support Obama.
Obama needs a heck of lot of explaining to do or are we going to let this man keep lying to the American people because we''''re afraid to ask.
Obama ihas many evil friends.
He''''s scary.
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by alicerea1 June 23, 2008 7:55 AM PDT

The reason Clinton supporters will not vote for Obama is because they are embarrassed of him, his life, his unfair tactics and his beliefs. And they still don''t know all about him.

They don''t want a candidate that has been in a twenty year relationship with Reverend Wright and the Trinity United Church of Christ.

They don%u2019t%u2019 want a candidate that has a twenty year relationship with Father Pflaeger as his compass in life

They don%u2019t want a candidate that went to a church that supports Louis Farrakhan, an anti Semitic racist.

They don''t want to defend Black Liberation theology.

They don%u2019t want a candidate that lies about his relationship with Tony Rezko, the Syrian Criminal that sold his property to Obama and supported his campaign.

They don''t want a candidate that could work with a domestic terrorist, William Ayers.

Reply to this comment
by alicerea1 June 23, 2008 7:56 AM PDT
Clinton supporters don''t want Obama because:
They don%u2019t want a candidate that Hamas supports.

They don%u2019t want a candidate that Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam support

They don%u2019t want a candidate that has a wife that has just now realized she was proud of our country.

They don%u2019t want a candidate that denies Florida and Michigan their voices

They don%u2019t want a candidate that mentions 57 states in his speeches. 50 states in the USA and 57 states in the Nation of Islam (IOC website)

They don%u2019t want a candidate that fights unfair and steals Michigan delegate votes from his opponent.

Reply to this comment
by alicerea1 June 23, 2008 7:56 AM PDT
Clinton supporters don''t want a candidate like Obama because:
They don%u2019t want a candidate that feels sorry to leave a church that is anti American and that preaches hatred and racial views that are cruel and nasty.

They don''t want a candidate that is inexperienced.

They don%u2019t want a candidate that considers it a loss to not to be able to attend his anti American, racist Church.

They don%u2019t want a candidate that has a %u201Cnon practicing%u201D Muslim father, but avoids the entire discussion of his father.

They don%u2019t%u2019 want a candidate that can%u2019t win a debate

They don%u2019t%u2019 want a candidate that misleads the youth with an %u2018Obama girl and her behind in their face%u201D

They don%u2019t want a candidate that says he%u2019s an African American and missed the MLK Remembrance Day and the Louisiana Black Caucus meeting

They don%u2019t want a candidate that has done nothing for humanity except talk about it.

They don%u2019t'' want a candidate named; Barack Hussein Obama

He scares them to death.
He is embarrassing.
He is unelectable.



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by mattcat25 June 23, 2008 10:14 AM PDT
The Republicans have plenty of revenues donated from our $12 Billion Dollars each and every month going to Private Contractors dependent on Bush%u2019s War on Iraq, and further Military Conflicts. The Republican Conservative Agenda has taken from the American People and will only continue to force the standard of living down if re-elected. The dismal result of the Conservative Agenda leaves the Republican Party to resort to Smear Campaigning and Swift Boating of the opposing candidates.
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by anappleadae June 23, 2008 2:08 PM PDT
Unfortunately for the Obama campaign there is no sexism card to play. Seems the excitement has all but disappeared from their campaign. Oh... Wait... How about the ageist card? Those stupid old people don''t know what their doing. Maybe Obama can convince them he can do their thinking for them.
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